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I just recently purchased a 32 Oldsmobile coupe off of an aunt and uncle that have owned it since 66. I’m trying to find some more information on it. I received a clean title in their name but I haven’t found the vin or serial number on the car anywhere. There’s a thin metal tag on the firewall with a 3 didgit body number but that’s all I’ve found. Thanks for any help.
Some Chevrolets of about the same vintage had an aluminum tag screwed to the floor on the passenger side next to battery box opening. Not sure if other GM cars did the same. Couldn't tell from your photo is your 32 has floorboards in it. Some makes used the number stamped on the engine block as an ID but that looks like a dead end for you if the original engine is gone.
If all else fails your state may have a process for assigning a "VIN".
Is there an identification number printed on the title? If your paper work has some kind of vehicle ID on it, check with vehicle bureau or state police to see if you can stamp the same number on your car and where on the car they specify.
No there’s no floor boards either. The tag on the firewall has a body number stamped but it’s just a 3 digit number...197. The vin in my title has a longer number number. It’s a good title so I guess it doesn’t matter too much but if I were to ever get pulled over or need to show a matching number on the car I wouldn’t be able to. Unless there’s something stamped somewhere else.
Here's an old thread where a forum member "blucar" mentioned the location of the tags on a 1936 car, based on info from a reference book he had. Maybe try to contact him and see if he can tell you what the book shows for a 32?
If the VIN number on the title has a lot of digits, it may be a replacement VIN number from the DMV. In that case, maybe ask your aunt or uncle if they recall this or have the loose tag?
Last edited by Russ P in MD; Jan 18, 2019 at 12:18 PM.
Look on top of left front frame rail. It should be stamped "OMW" with an alpha numeric VIN following. These preceded actual VIN's and were known as serial numbers.
